What to Know about South Africa’s New Declaration Requirements for All Travelers

If South Africa is in your travel plans, be sure to comply with the new online declaration requirements for all travelers entering or leaving that country. Hunters should also know about the restrictions and declarations on cash they may bring to pay for a safari and requirements on declaring firearms to Customs.

These new requirements were previously voluntary but are now legally required.

First, declarations should be made digitally using the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Traveler Declaration Portal of the SATMS telephone app or online at SARS Customs Online Traveler Declaration. If you arrive without having made a digital declaration, an onsite official will direct you to a kiosk to do it.

This requirement applies to everyone, whether traveling by air, land (including rail ports of entry), or sea. Each traveler, including children and infants, must have an individual declaration.

Among the declaration requirements, travelers must declare the amount of cash they are carrying and may only carry an equivalent up to R100,000 into or out of South Africa without prior approval. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of R100,000 will require pre-approval, so be sure to submit your declaration at least 24 hours before you begin travel.

Hunters taking cash for their safaris will need to determine the value of exchange from their country’s currency to South African rands. For example, R100,000 at this writing equaled just over $6,000 US or 5,300 Euros.

In addition to cash, travelers must declare goods intended for trade, business, resale, repair, processing, or that are carried on behalf of another person. Valuable goods may require temporary import or export registration. Firearms or other regulated items that need permits or supporting authority documents must be declared as well.

Failure to declare goods or currency correctly can result in penalties, delays or seizures. Hunters should have supporting permits and documentation required for the import of their firearms ready for Customs to review. This is separate from the process of receiving a temporary import permit from the South African Police Service at the airport.

Also, the electronic declaration does not replace normal entry requirements for a passport, sufficient blank pages, a visa, and proof of onward or return travel. Travelers should complete the SARS online traveler declaration before departure and carry the confirmation with them either on their smartphone or printed.

Travelers simply transiting through South Africa are not required to make any declarations as long as they remain in the secure transit area of an airport.

Here are some helpful links:

Read the SARS Press Release.

Visit the SARS Customs Online Traveler Declaration web page to see the step-by-step instructions.

Watch a short Traveller Declaration System video on the SARS TV YouTube channel.

Download the SARS Traveller Declaration External PDF Guide.